When We Forget

    It's been almost two years and this little space of mine has been devoid of activity.  The sad truth is I cannot explain why. There are times I picked up my pen, wrote a single line and stopped.  Other times, I wrote it all in my head and forgot. Blame it on this wandering mind of mine. It would not be sincere to say it won't happen again because this subconscious of mine sure works in overdrive, over thinking even the smallest of affairs. Wallaahul Musta'an.

      As humans, we are prone to getting so engrossed in our daily lives and all that  surrounds us which sometimes makes us forget our purpose and the race towards it. For Muslims, it may be hard for us to know when we slip into that state of forgetfulness.  After all,  we heed the call to prayers, fast, abstain from evil and so on.
Have you ever stopped to think of all those times you observed salah whilst your mind was busy preparing for work or cooking Amala, Ewedu and Buka stew before you remembered that you've lost concentration?  How many times have we attended gatherings of knowledge, nodded our heads to the teachings but returned home empty? Acts of ibaadah (worship) can sometimes become monotonous and rather than find the spiritual uplift that comes with completion,  we just tick check on our to do lists. This phase can happen to any of us but problems arise when it becomes the norm instead of just a low moment. Being unmindful of these low moments can lead to a constant state of negligence resulting in hard hearts. May Allah save us from such, Aameen.

'Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and He will remember you in times of adversity. ' Those were a part of the words from the best of mankind (Peace be upon him) to one of his sahaba (companions).  If the sahaba (May Allah be pleased with them) who had practised the best Islam were told to be mindful of Allah,  then we are in more need of a constant reminder because we live in times where so many distractions are present.
An important lesson from these words is that we should not wait until we are in dire straits before checking the state of our hearts and reviewing our relationship with Ar Rahman.

  So, how do we avoid falling into a monotonous state of worship? As the narration goes, 'Actions shall be judged according to intentions.' The first thing we should check are our intentions by remembering always that whatever we perform of worship is done solely to seek the pleasure of Ar Rahman.
Next is constantly remembering Allah. Our morning and evening duaa,  dhikr after each salah, recitation of the Quran will contribute to making us aware of how are faring. Dhikr should be made while being aware of what we are saying and asking. Learning the meanings of the duaa we make will help with that awareness.  "Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."

 

 The Prophet of Allah taught us to always  say in our final tashahud: "Allahumma a'inee 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibaadatik ; Oh Allah help me remember You, to give you thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner."  This is a reminder that we can't do it all on our own without the help of Allah by making duaa.  Seeking His Help to keep or hearts firm upon goodness, to constantly remember Him and to not fall into negligence.

Allahumma ya muqallib al quloob,  thaabit qalbi 'alaa Deenik; O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm upon your religion.

Wa Salaam alaykum!